Have you watched our film clips about childhood?

The first person you see in these clips is little Rosemary Gowlland, whose father went to great lengths to record Rosemary’s early life, along with other family events and activities, particularly during the Second World War.  The Gowlland Collection is now deposited with Screen Archive South East

So what happened to Rosemary?  How often we ask this question about people we have seen in film or images from long ago, but never have an answer.  On this occasion I can tell you that Rosemary is very much alive and well and living in a beautiful part of Kent with her husband Peter.  I went to visit Rosemary, Peter and Rosemary’s brother John to film and interview them for the Movies and Memories Project.  During the course of the day I discovered what an interesting and creative man their father, Geoffrey, had been.  He also had great foresight in recording all sorts of interesting details of day to day life.  For example, at the outbreak of war, he filmed the hanging up of the blackout screens, and at the end of the War, filmed their removal and burning.

Rosemary and her brother John are now very much involved in maintaining an ongoing collection of information about the Gowlland family, and many of Geoffrey’s photos can be seen on the Gowlland Family website

While I was there I took the opportunity of interviewing Rosemary’s husband Peter Milton-Thompson, who also had some fascinating stories to tell.  He is, in fact, the great great nephew of Elizabeth Fry and the descendent of a line of clergyman who led interesting lives in their own right.

I had a lovely day with them all, including the most delicious lunch.  I also came away with some excellent material to add to the project’s final DVD.

Happy 2013!

In spite of having to fit in the usual many last minute preparations for Christmas at the end of 2012 some of the Bognor Regis Movies and Memories volunteers found some time to meet up at the Regis Centre for a little get together and a cup of tea.

It was a very happy occasion and quiet break from the seasonal madness.  I was really encouraged by the ongoing enthusiasm for the project and the ideas it was generating; in particular, the possibility of continuing the recording of older people’s memories in Bognor Regis into the future.  This is not always easy with a Heritage Lottery funded project, which is only able to continue for a finite period of time, but we still have 6 months in which to pursue the possibilities, perhaps by linking with another similar project, encouraging a local community group to take up the challenge, or even  setting up a completely new group to continue on a more informal basis.  Further ideas and interest would be welcome.

The group also had several suggestions of people who might be willing interviewees.  In fact, even as we spoke, various people walking past were caught in the volunteers’ ‘nets’ and recruited on the spot!

The New Year is going to be an important time for the project as we carry out many reminiscence sessions and oral history interviews.  We will also be showing examples of some of the material we have gathered so far, to demonstrate the range of fascinating memories that we are collecting.

Thanks to all the volunteers in Bognor Regis, Shoreham, Brighton, Worthing and Littlehampton.  We couldn’t do this without you!

Bognor Regis volunteer xmas tea party. Left to right. Janet, Hilary, Phil, Mary, Sue